


Coin

by CharmyWizard



Series: Charmy’s Fantasy Stories [11]
Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Brothers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Jumping to Conclusions, why am i so bad at tags?!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28738860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharmyWizard/pseuds/CharmyWizard
Summary: It’s easy to jump to conclusion sometimes. It’s what you do afterwards that makes the difference
Relationships: Donatello & Raphael (TMNT)
Series: Charmy’s Fantasy Stories [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897126
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27
Collections: The Messenger The Hunter The Prince and The Thief





	Coin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VoidInkedPen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidInkedPen/gifts).



> this is a fic i wrote for @void-inked-pen during the holidays, i’m hoping by spreading out my holiday stories i can stay on break longer

“You know, you don’t have to do look out every night.”

It was only because he could sense Raph approaching from behind that Donnie didn’t jump out of his skin and (try) to knock him out with his hooked staff. “I’m used to uneven sleeping hours. That and Leo is still having trouble adjusting to his new….’lifestyle.’” Which was a way of saying the pampered prince wasn’t used to sleeping somewhere different every night. Mikey had offered to take up look out one night and it was only through constant begging that Raph and Donnie caved and let him try. But it had proven too tiring for the youngest turtle, who Donnie had found a few hours later sleeping at his post with a bandit poking through his pocket.

Which of course left Raph and Donnie.

Raph should have been asleep by now, but without looking up from his tin cup he hears Raph shuffle slightly as though he had social ants in his pants. With a dip of his head, he invites Raph closer. The snapping turtle shuffled closer before sitting on the log that Don had perched by. It was a unspoken truth between them that, out of their brothers, that Raph and Donnie felt the most uncomfortable around each other. Which was saying something considering Donnie and Leo’s history. But at least the two middle children had found a place in each other’s lives formed by both their past with Big Mama and everything that happened with the Mud Dogs. And no one in their right mind could dislike Mikey who, despite having some boundary issues, was as bright and warm as the sun his powered-up eyes reflected.

Then there was Raph and Donnie.

A bounty hunter and a thief.

But Donnie was used to awkward situations. So as he sips from his hot coffee and enjoys watching his breath turn into mist, he was only vaguely aware of Raph tapping his foot or tapping his fingers together like a anxious archer getting ready to make a shot. He didn’t have all night or want Raph to keep stewing in his own misery, so he took the initiative. “It’s fine Raph, I forgive you.”

It was almost funny to see the snapping turtle jump and look at him in surprise. “I-how-“

“Because you’ve been a proverbial bag of nerves ever since it happened Raph. Please stop torturing yourself. You’re a bounty hunter, you acted on your instincts.” Though it was Donnie’s own instincts that made him curl his forearm tighter to his chest.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

_Next thing Donnie knew his out held arm is suddenly in Raph’s hand, pulling him around to look in his half panicked, if angry, eyes; like a panicked parent who had caught a thief child juggling knives, or dragon eggs. Raph turned over Donnie’s wrist to reveal copper coins bunched up in his hand. “What are you doing?!” Raph demanded in a hushed whisper, “You can't be pickpocketing when you’re traveling with us. What if someone saw you?!”_

_Don blinked, and it’s only when he started to notice the pain radiating from his arm he said, “What are you talking about?” Donnie demanded between his teeth._

_A familiar olive green hand, lacking even more familiar rings, grabs a hold of Raph’s finger drawing both of them to the illusionist now pulling back on Raph’s finger, under his dark blue hood yellow eyes glared at Raph. “Let. Him. Go,” he said in a quiet voice dripping with venom. “Now.”_

_Maybe it was the shock of seeing Leo there, but Raph looks to where Donnie had been standing, finally noticing the old woman sitting on the ground dressed in rags and a dirty chipped bowl that had a few meager coins in it, whose trembling hand had been raised to take the coins from Donnie’s hand but were now recoiled at the conflict. Donnie takes advantage of Raph’s shock and pulled his arm free before kneeling down. “Here you go grandmother,” he said making sure to place the coins in her hand, closing her other hand over it. “Tomorrow will be better,” he promised her before standing up. Leo’s at his side a moment later, trying to roll up Don’s sleeve to check for bruising but Donnie brushes his hands aside with a gentle pat on the head. “Thanks for your help,” he said with sincerity before walking away. Leaving Raph to watch after him, and even though he doesn’t look back, Raph presses his hand over his face in regret._

(#)(#)(#)(#)

Donnie is not used to having flashbacks, but he blames that on the reason he jumps when he is suddenly lifted off the ground to sit on the fallen log by Raph’s side, “Raph-!” he says but the bounty hunter is already rolling up his sleeve. Donnie would have to have ANOTHER talk about personal space and boundaries-

He had checked his arm earlier, and though the spots where Raph’s fingers had made contact were dark, they hadn’t swollen up. But that apparently was of little comfort to Raph whose face twists up in regret. “I’m so sorry Doniel,” he says, already digging through his bag. It's strange for Donnie to see such a large figure tremble so bad. He tries to put a hand on his arm but Raph has already pulled out a roll of bandages. Donnie barely has time to pull his arm away before he finally grabs Raph by the shoulders, “Raph. Stop,” he commands as gently as he can.

The bounty hunter finally looks him in the eyes, his dark green eyes swimming in a sea of unshed tears. “I-Ii’m sorry,” Raph says in a cracking voice, “I-I didn’t’-I saw you with money and I just-I didn’t even see the woman, I-,“ Raph’s voice cracks with a sob, “I-I just saw you with the money and cause you-you’re a thief I jus-“ Raph presses both hands over his mouth as he dips his head down. Struggling to keep himself quiet. Donnie glances into the cave they’ve been sleeping in to make sure Raph’s surging emotions haven’t woken Mikey up. But the messenger just yawns and latches onto Leo in his sleep.

Donnie takes Raph by the shoulders, and tips his forehead down to touch Raph’s, guiding him up to force eye contact. “Did you bruise me on purpose?”

  
“N-No-“

“Did you act because you were scared I was doing something to endanger the safety of our brothers?”

Raph opens his mouth again but is unable to get the words to come out and can only setting for a nod. Donnie reaches his hands up to gently hold the back of Raph’s head, keeping it in place. “No more apologizing. No more guilt. It happened; people make mistakes. And if I forgive you then there’s nothing more you can do than forgive yourself right.” He wraps his arm around Raph’s shoulders and guides him into a hug.

Raph’s larger than life arms immediately wrap around him tightly, like a child clinging to a lost stuffed animal in a nightmare. “I-I’m not a monster?” he whispers, as though he was too afraid of the answer to ask any louder, Donnie shakes his head “Of course not big guy.” Raph gives a shudder of relief before he starts weeping into Donnie's shoulder as Donnie strokes the back of his head, resting his cheek against Raph’s head.

After a few minutes the weeping finally stops, but Donnie doesn’t release his hug on Raph until he feels the giant start to pull away, wiping his eyes on his sleeves as though trying to hide all traces of his momentary weakness. Donnie tilts his head to get a better look at Raph’s face. “Can you forgive yourself now?”

“I-I’ll try,” Raph asks in a trembling voice, pausing for a moment, “If-if you’ll let me take over lookout for the rest of the night.”

Normally Donnie would have argued that Raph had done look out the night before. But there’s only a few more hours in the night, and he knows this is the only thing that will help absolve Raph of his remaining guilt. “Alright big guy,” he says standing up, patting the snapping turtle on his shoulder and moving back into the cave. He picks a spot on the floor on Leo’s other side. The moment he lays down, Leo sleepily rolls over, (despite his cuddle hostage situation with Mikey) and rests his cheek on Don’s shoulder. Don can’t help but chuckle to himself, taking a moment to make sure both Leo and Mikey are still covered by blankets before wrapping himself up in his cloak and closing his eyes.


End file.
